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Traditional society

December 11, 2023

In sociology, traditional society refers to a society characterized by an orientation to the past, not the future, with a predominant role for custom and habit.[1] Such societies are marked by a lack of distinction between family and business, with the division of labor influenced primarily by age, gender, and status.[2]

Traditional and modern edit

Traditional society has often been contrasted with modern industrial society, with figures like Durkheim and Pierre Bourdieu stressing such polarities as community vs. society or mechanical vs. organic solidarity;[3] while Claude Lévi-Strauss saw traditional societies as 'cold' societies in that they refused to allow the historical process to define their social sense of legitimacy.[4]

Within modernisation theory, traditional society is also the first stage of economic development as established in W.W. Rostow's Economic Growth Model. Classified as "pre-newtonian," science and technology are not practiced. Life is agrarian, and family or clan relationships are the basis for social structures.[5]

However, theories positing the simple, unilineal evolution of societies from traditional to modern industrial are now seen as too simplistic,[6] relying on an ideal typology revolving round such polarities as subsistence/growth; face-to-face/impersonal; informal social control/formal social control; or collective ownership/private ownership.[7] Recent work has emphasised instead the variety of traditional cultures, and the existence of intermediate forms as well as of 'alternative' modernisations.[8]

Ritual edit

Traditional societies have been seen as characterised by powerful collective memories sanctioned by ritual, and with social guardians ensuring continuity of communal practices.[9] Practice theory, however, has recently emphasised the role of ritual in facilitating change, as well as continuity.[10]

Diversity edit

Fredric Jameson saw 20th-century modernisation as encountering two main kinds of traditional society, tribal, as in Africa, and bureaucratic imperial, as in China and India,[11] but a much wider diversity of traditional societies has existed over time.

For most of human existence, small tribes of hunter-gatherers leading an almost static existence formed the only social organisation: where they survived into the 20th century, as in Australia, paintings, songs, myths and rituals[12] were all used to cement links to a deep-reaching sense of continuity with ancestors and ancestral ways.[13]

The invention of farming some 10,000 years ago led to the development of agrarian societies, whether nomadic or peasant, the latter in particular almost always dominated by a strong sense of traditionalism.[14] Within agrarian society, however, a wide diversity still existed. Homeric Greece was a society marked by powerful kinship bonds, fixed status and rigidly defined social expectations;[15] with the classical polis, however, though festivals, in M. I. Finley's words, still "recreated for their audiences the unbroken web of all life, stretching back over generations of men to the gods",[16] new and more complex voluntary forms of social and public life balanced traditional society in a new equilibrium.[17]

Medieval Europe was an intensely local society of self-perpetuating peasant households,[18] living within a slow moving culture dominated by customary law and by respect for ancient authority[19] and pervaded with an ahistorical political mentality focused upon the concepts of experience, usage, and law-as-custom.[20]

Enlightenment and post-traditionalism edit

Much of the focus of Enlightenment thinking was directed at undoing the mindset of traditional society, and replacing a focus upon such concepts as rural, hierarchical, customary or status with one centred on the ideas of urban, egalitarian, progressive or contractual. Modernism and modernity continued the process of challenging and overcoming traditional society.[21]

Jameson, however, has seen as a defining feature of postmodernism the global elimination of residual, 'traditional' enclaves, giving it its one-dimensional, temporal nature that is no longer offset by living examples of the past alongside the new.[22]

Internet edit

Global media such as the Internet have been seen as effective means of recreating traditional cultures.[23] However, a key contrast now with traditional societies as they were is that participation has become voluntary instead of being ascriptive: fixed in space, social stratification and role expectations.[24]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Langlois, S. (2001). "Traditions: Social". International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. International Encyclopedia of the Social. pp. 15829–15833. doi:10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/02028-3. ISBN 9780080430768.
  2. ^ S. Langlois, Traditions: Social, In: Neil J. Smelser and Paul B. Baltes, Editors-in-Chief, International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, Pergamon, Oxford, 2001, Pages 15829-15833, ISBN 978-0-08-043076-8, doi:10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/02028-3
  3. ^ M.Grenfell, Pierre Bourdieu: Agent Provocateur (2004) p. 41-4
  4. ^ Claude Lévi-Strauss, The Savage Mind (1989) p. 233–36
  5. ^ Rostow, W. W. (1990). "The Five Stages of Growth." In Development and Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Global Inequality. Boulder and London: Lynne Rienner Publishers. pp. 9–16.
  6. ^ Langlois, in Smelser
  7. ^ Traditional and Modern Societies Archived 2012-12-12 at archive.today
  8. ^ John R. Hall et al, Sociology on Culture (2003) p. 71-4
  9. ^ Ulrich Bech et al, Reflexive Modernisation (1994) p. 63-5
  10. ^ Hall, p. 78
  11. ^ M. Hardt/K. Weeks eds., The Jameson Reader (2005) p. 319
  12. ^ David Attenborough, Life on Earth (1992) p. 304
  13. ^ Emile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (1971) p. 276-80
  14. ^ Max Weber, The Sociology of Religion (1971) p. 81
  15. ^ M. I. Finley, The World of Odysseus (1967) p. 89 and p. 133-4
  16. ^ Quoted J. H Plumb, The Death of the Past (1969) in p. 24-5
  17. ^ J.Boardman et al eds., The Oxford History of the Classical World (1991) p. 232
  18. ^ E. Le Roy Ladurie, Montaillou (1980) p. 283 and p. 356
  19. ^ R. W. Southern , The Making of the Middle Ages (1993) p. 74-5
  20. ^ J. H. Hexter, On Historians (1979) p. 269-71
  21. ^ Hardt, p. 264 and p. 251-2
  22. ^ M. Hardt, p. 240-4
  23. ^ Kate Fox, Watching the English (2004) p. 14
  24. ^ Peter Worsley ed., The New Modern Sociology Readings (1991) p. 317

Bibliography edit

External links edit

  • Traditional society

December 11, 2023
traditional, society, sociology, traditional, society, refers, society, characterized, orientation, past, future, with, predominant, role, custom, habit, such, societies, marked, lack, distinction, between, family, business, with, division, labor, influenced, . In sociology traditional society refers to a society characterized by an orientation to the past not the future with a predominant role for custom and habit 1 Such societies are marked by a lack of distinction between family and business with the division of labor influenced primarily by age gender and status 2 Contents 1 Traditional and modern 2 Ritual 3 Diversity 4 Enlightenment and post traditionalism 5 Internet 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External linksTraditional and modern editTraditional society has often been contrasted with modern industrial society with figures like Durkheim and Pierre Bourdieu stressing such polarities as community vs society or mechanical vs organic solidarity 3 while Claude Levi Strauss saw traditional societies as cold societies in that they refused to allow the historical process to define their social sense of legitimacy 4 Within modernisation theory traditional society is also the first stage of economic development as established in W W Rostow s Economic Growth Model Classified as pre newtonian science and technology are not practiced Life is agrarian and family or clan relationships are the basis for social structures 5 However theories positing the simple unilineal evolution of societies from traditional to modern industrial are now seen as too simplistic 6 relying on an ideal typology revolving round such polarities as subsistence growth face to face impersonal informal social control formal social control or collective ownership private ownership 7 Recent work has emphasised instead the variety of traditional cultures and the existence of intermediate forms as well as of alternative modernisations 8 Ritual editTraditional societies have been seen as characterised by powerful collective memories sanctioned by ritual and with social guardians ensuring continuity of communal practices 9 Practice theory however has recently emphasised the role of ritual in facilitating change as well as continuity 10 Diversity editFredric Jameson saw 20th century modernisation as encountering two main kinds of traditional society tribal as in Africa and bureaucratic imperial as in China and India 11 but a much wider diversity of traditional societies has existed over time For most of human existence small tribes of hunter gatherers leading an almost static existence formed the only social organisation where they survived into the 20th century as in Australia paintings songs myths and rituals 12 were all used to cement links to a deep reaching sense of continuity with ancestors and ancestral ways 13 The invention of farming some 10 000 years ago led to the development of agrarian societies whether nomadic or peasant the latter in particular almost always dominated by a strong sense of traditionalism 14 Within agrarian society however a wide diversity still existed Homeric Greece was a society marked by powerful kinship bonds fixed status and rigidly defined social expectations 15 with the classical polis however though festivals in M I Finley s words still recreated for their audiences the unbroken web of all life stretching back over generations of men to the gods 16 new and more complex voluntary forms of social and public life balanced traditional society in a new equilibrium 17 Medieval Europe was an intensely local society of self perpetuating peasant households 18 living within a slow moving culture dominated by customary law and by respect for ancient authority 19 and pervaded with an ahistorical political mentality focused upon the concepts of experience usage and law as custom 20 Enlightenment and post traditionalism editMuch of the focus of Enlightenment thinking was directed at undoing the mindset of traditional society and replacing a focus upon such concepts as rural hierarchical customary or status with one centred on the ideas of urban egalitarian progressive or contractual Modernism and modernity continued the process of challenging and overcoming traditional society 21 Jameson however has seen as a defining feature of postmodernism the global elimination of residual traditional enclaves giving it its one dimensional temporal nature that is no longer offset by living examples of the past alongside the new 22 Internet editGlobal media such as the Internet have been seen as effective means of recreating traditional cultures 23 However a key contrast now with traditional societies as they were is that participation has become voluntary instead of being ascriptive fixed in space social stratification and role expectations 24 See also edit nbsp Society portalAition Folklore Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft Modernization theory Pre industrial societyReferences edit Langlois S 2001 Traditions Social International Encyclopedia of the Social amp Behavioral Sciences International Encyclopedia of the Social pp 15829 15833 doi 10 1016 B0 08 043076 7 02028 3 ISBN 9780080430768 S Langlois Traditions Social In Neil J Smelser and Paul B Baltes Editors in Chief International Encyclopedia of the Social amp Behavioral Sciences Pergamon Oxford 2001 Pages 15829 15833 ISBN 978 0 08 043076 8 doi 10 1016 B0 08 043076 7 02028 3 M Grenfell Pierre Bourdieu Agent Provocateur 2004 p 41 4 Claude Levi Strauss The Savage Mind 1989 p 233 36 Rostow W W 1990 The Five Stages of Growth In Development and Underdevelopment The Political Economy of Global Inequality Boulder and London Lynne Rienner Publishers pp 9 16 Langlois in Smelser Traditional and Modern Societies Archived 2012 12 12 at archive today John R Hall et al Sociology on Culture 2003 p 71 4 Ulrich Bech et al Reflexive Modernisation 1994 p 63 5 Hall p 78 M Hardt K Weeks eds The Jameson Reader 2005 p 319 David Attenborough Life on Earth 1992 p 304 Emile Durkheim The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life 1971 p 276 80 Max Weber The Sociology of Religion 1971 p 81 M I Finley The World of Odysseus 1967 p 89 and p 133 4 Quoted J H Plumb The Death of the Past 1969 in p 24 5 J Boardman et al eds The Oxford History of the Classical World 1991 p 232 E Le Roy Ladurie Montaillou 1980 p 283 and p 356 R W Southern The Making of the Middle Ages 1993 p 74 5 J H Hexter On Historians 1979 p 269 71 Hardt p 264 and p 251 2 M Hardt p 240 4 Kate Fox Watching the English 2004 p 14 Peter Worsley ed The New Modern Sociology Readings 1991 p 317Bibliography editLai Chen and Edmund Ryden Tradition and Modernity 2009 Jared Diamond The World until Yesterday What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies Penguin Books 2012 ISBN 978 0 141 02448 6 Edward Shils Tradition 2006 O Lewis Tepoztlan Village in Mexico 1960 Julius SSENGENDO Ntege My Journal 2018External links editTraditional society Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Traditional society amp oldid 1157388179, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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